Lightyears
by xrogue23
Summary: Claymore characters in a Mass Effect-y universe. A random story. Flora's reunion with her military girlfriend. Oneshot.


Imagine me riding a bicycle on a straight path. At the end of this path is the happy place where I continue writing Wind Flower. Now, imagine a gigantic Snorlax blocking my path, and I don't have a Pokeflute. Still with me? Good. Then, I ride around the great big Snorlax, only to have my child-like attention caught by a passing butterfly.

That's my situation right now. *le cries* Damn this writer's block. Or rather, a more accurate term would be "writer's fickleness". But don't worry, I've already vowed to finish Wind Flower. So... in the meantime here's this.

Character relationships are imported from Wind Flower into a Mass Effect universe. A universe with lots of artistic license taken. Warning, this is a plotless little thingy I've come up with.

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><p>'There was a little commotion around the loading docks earlier. Did it go well?'<p>

'As well as it could with a bunch of crazies screaming for a piece of our asses. If you're asking whether the mission was successful, then yes. We're on the ship now, heading to Illium where we'll stay for a few days as planned. Client's still huddled in a corner though, probably scared witless by the firefight. Damned cowards, they are, volus.' The volus were an alien species, short in stature and reliant on pressure suits and breathers to survive. They were known for their aptitude in trade, but certainly not their courage to charge into battle.

'At least volus are easy to intimidate and control.'

'We sure could have used a hand in the fight though.'

Flora sighed. 'The contract states we're supposed to _protect_ and escort him to Illium, Undine. Not expose him to danger.'

'Doesn't make me like him any better. Why can't we just offer services only to humans, you know, makes it easier to-,'

'Undine.' The normally soft blonde cut in firmly. 'We are a profit-making organization. We have to cover the costs of wages, maintenance, and-,'

'Fine, fine!' Undine interrupted. 'I get it, I get it. Will contact you when we reach. Bye.' Without waiting for a reply, the operative hung up.

Shaking her head lightly, Flora stowed her phone into her pocket and withdrew her datapad from her purse. She feigned concentration at reading something on the pad, walking out of the corner slowly. Without turning her head, she glanced quickly out the corner of her eye and caught sight of the two men who had been hanging around, casting subtle looks at her the whole time. Were they eyeing her as a sex object, or as a target? Judging by their furtive glimpses and their firearms, it was probably the latter. Flora cursed inwardly, chiding herself for not thinking about her pistols while accessorizing earlier at home. But then again, she rationalized, she probably would not need them, judging by how the person she was waiting for had enough muscle, firepower and authority to overpower a couple of thugs. Flora kept her face placid and sat on a bench just far enough from the men and close enough to the starship docks, all the while keeping aware of their positions.

Ever since she became an "information broker" and eventually the de facto "head" of the private security organization, Minerva, Flora had learnt how to handle herself in fights. Blade training for close quarters combat, firearms training for long-range. As an information broker, Flora had to delve deep into the underground for the darkest of secrets and information that she could sell to those who wanted it. Inevitably, she made enemies as some people or organisations did not like their dirty little secrets traded. When she gained reputation as a broker, the danger of suffering a knife or bullet in the back also rose along with it. Even though she worked undercover and was careful not to leak her own identity, there were still those capable enough to track her down.

Just when it was getting too dangerous flying solo, Galatea had approached her, offering a place in her baby organization, Minerva, as the "intelligence personnel". Flora accepted, helping Minerva to grow and eventually using some of its resources to _persuade_ her pursuers to back off. After a few negotiations, Minerva now also worked with the Citadel Council, offering security services to high-profile clients. Flora handled most of the interactions with the Council, seeing how Minerva's founder Galatea got tired of "tedious discussions with narrow-minded and inflexible politicians" and returned to the thrill that being a field operative can bring. With the boss refusing to swim in administrative work and engage in relations-building, Flora had to take up the mantle, which was a great irony considering how she quit her job as the human ambassador to the Council because of the tedium politics could bring. She had taken a roundabout path, only to end up with a job similar to the one she had before.

Crossing her legs, Flora opened her inbox in the datapad and was greeted with a string of unread messages. There were quite a few from the Council, the rest being requests for Minerva's security services, applications to join the organization, as well as "thank you" letters from satisfied customers. Flora quickly scanned through the letters of thanks, marked the applications for future reference and started reading through the Council's messages. A movement off to the side caught her attention, and through a fake yawn she noted that the male pair had moved just that little bit closer.

_When are you going to arrive, damn it,_ Flora questioned mentally as she typed in a response to the Council, carefully phrasing her words so that she would not come across as too confrontational. When she was done, she hit the "send" button and stretched her neck, taking the opportunity to observe her shadowers again. One of them was talking on the phone, the other was staring intently at his datapad. Flora cast a glance at the doors leading towards the starship docks, before returning to her datapad, bringing up an application mail. _"Nina Farrell, ex-bodyguard"_

It was forty long minutes later, when the doors opened, that Flora finally laid eyes on that familiar head of silver hair.

**-**_**Lightyears-**_

'I sincerely apologise for this, Captain. But all other eligible personnel are tied down to their own assignments all over the galaxy. You're the only person left I can trust this with.'

'I understand, sir. Commander Howards' shore leave is already long overdue. I'd be happy to help him get some down time.'

'He's a dedicated soldier, but he's still a family man. I really hate the idea of pulling my men, and women,' the Admiral added, as if suddenly aware that his subordinate was a female, 'away from their families for too long.'

'You are just doing your job, Admiral. I believe Howards understands that. And I don't have much of a family waiting for me anyway.'

'Oh, no, don't pull that crap on me again, Lancett. Last time you said that, I stationed you at Jariel for two years, and your lovely girlfriend hinted that she would throw my ass into solitary confinement just so I could experience how she felt.'

Captain Lancett bit her bottom lip, trying valiantly to keep a straight face. Her girlfriend was lovely indeed. Though she looked delicate and spoke courteously in her soft voice, she was also recognised for her subtly aggressive, but logical approach that ended bargains in her favour, while not putting the other party at a disadvantage. It was a known fact that one should not put on airs during a negotiation with Flora Chevalier, for hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Especially so for the blond woman. The brutish, devious and hard-handed had come out of discussions with Miss Chevalier unusually quiet, their egos so bruised and punctured you almost expected to see physical scars. Although Flora usually reserved her talent for meetings only, the woman occasionally used it on friends and acquaintances when she was truly pissed off.

Irene loved the woman. She loved how gentle and sweet Flora could be to her close friends; it was what made the officer fall in love with her. But after witnessing the then-ambassador verbally bashing a high and mighty Council representative of the alien turian race, the captain was helplessly hooked and drawn in. Sure, Irene was fierce herself, but with Flora it was a different type of fierce. It was a fierce that one could not learn from the streets, just as Irene had done. Simply put, from Irene's past experiences with her girlfriend's temper, if she was angry with you, you had better tuck your tail between your legs and run. If running was not an option, as was Irene's case, then shut up, do _not _make another potentially aggravating move and slowly undo what you have done. For the silver-haired captain, it was easier with the privilege that came with being her lover. Irene silently gave thanks that Flora, fortunately, needed a hell lot to push her into being angry, and she kept the aggressiveness mostly for business.

'I'm sure she was just joking, sir.'

'Well, I hope she'll still be joking after she finds out we're pulling you out after a month of shore leave.'

'I'll explain it her, she'll understand. Flora's not as fierce in her personal life, you know.'

'I hope so. Good luck with explaining.'

'Thank you, sir.'

'Pass on my regards, won't you? And tell her I'm already recommending the Council to make you a Spectre, maybe her vengeance won't be as harsh then.'

Spectres were agents entrusted with extraordinary authority by the Citadel Council, and their primary responsibility was to preserve galactic stability. They were considered above the law and could use any method to accomplish their missions. Only accomplished candidates could join the elite ranks of the Spectres, and doing so was considered by some as an honour.

'She's actually a sweet girl, Admiral.'

'I know. Maybe you can tell her it's because we can't get hold of Teresa to do the job, so we have to count on you. Shouldn't have made the woman a Spectre, it's so bloody difficult to catch her now. She's probably out on the fringes of the universe.' Teresa had been made a Spectre a few years ago, and the woman took full advantage of it, travelling to faraway systems for her missions to act independently of the Council. She did not appreciate having to answer to a whole hierarchy of authority as an officer.

'I'm sure she's working with humanity's interests at heart, sir.'

'I'm sure she is. But things will get a hell lot easier once I've made you a Spectre. I hope.' Admiral Patton cleared his throat. 'Well, I think I've held you back long enough, Captain. Enjoy your leave, and make sure I don't end up in solitary confinement.'

Irene finally cracked a smile. 'I'll do my best, sir.' She stood at attention until her superior cut the connection, the holographic image of him disappearing from the communications console. The officer slung her duffel bag over her shoulder and made her way out of the comms room.

'Goodbye, Captain. Enjoy your shore leave.'

Irene turned to see Tabitha, who had emerged from the elevator from the crew cabins, smiling at her. The captain nodded.

'You too, Tabitha. Take care.'

'Thank you, Captain.' The ship's yeoman returned the captain's nod and exited the ship.

Captain Lancett strode to the cockpit, where the only two other crew were still at. They both stared at the pilot's console.

'We docked about half an hour ago. Not eager to go home?' Irene's voice startled the pair, who jumped and turned around to face their commanding officer.

'It's not that, Captain.' Dietrich, her navigations officer, replied. Her back became instinctively straight in the presence of the superior. 'We were just looking over the upgrades for the ship.'

'Yeap,' the pilot, Leonard, was more relaxed with Irene, having worked with her for a much longer period. 'The _Tempest_ is still our new baby after all. We've gotta soup it up with a few improvements and _bam!_ We've got the one of the sweetest rides in the navy.'

Irene lifted a brow. 'It doesn't matter if my ship's the "sweetest ride" in the navy, Leon. It's already working well enough for me. And, my ship is a frigate. When I come back I still want it to look like a frigate, understood?'

Leonard straightened in his chair and tossed over a mock salute. 'Aye aye, ma'am!'

'Now, don't you two want to get off the ship? Your Captain's already leaving.'

'It's all right, Captain.' Dietrich spoke up. 'We'll power down the _Tempest_ after you. You don't have to worry.'

Irene hitched the duffel's strap higher on her shoulder. 'I don't have to worry, Dietrich. I trust the both of you. Just make sure everything's taken care of before you leave.'

'Yes, ma'am!'

_**-Lightyears-**_

Irene had just started on the steps when Flora turned and noticed her. A smile involuntarily made its way onto her lips. It's been fourteen weeks since she had left her girlfriend alone in the Citadel. For three and a half months, she had been flying around the galaxy in her starship, going on work detail in a couple of colonies. She even brought down a terrorist cell hiding in a derelict base. Now, she was ready to let her hair down and lead a civilian life for one short month.

The soft blonde stood up and walked over to her partner, arms enveloping the slightly taller woman in an embrace. Irene wrapped her arms around Flora's waist, pulling her closer, and rested her head in the crook of her neck. She inhaled deeply, enjoying the scent of her lover. Flora's first words broke the moment.

'Two men are following me. At ten o'clock.'

Irene withdrew slightly, still holding Flora close, and caught a quick glimpse of the aforementioned pair. Raising a hand to stroke the blonde's cheek, Irene asked, 'Why? They're too far, I can't see them properly. Are they armed?' The captain smiled, as if she was just making an enquiry about her partner's wellbeing.

'Mercenaries, maybe. Thugs. I only saw pistols on them. Don't think they're here to throw me a party.' Flora fiddled with the string of Irene's hoodie.

'So? What do you plan to do?'

'Since you're the one with the weapons… I figured I'd let you kick their asses.'

'Troublesome.' Irene commented, freeing her girlfriend from her hold. 'Any peaceful suggestions?'

'We'll have to make them go away. There's no telling what they'll do with our backs turned.'

'Scare them off?' Irene cocked her head. 'That's easy, I think.'

'Wait,' Flora grasped the other woman's hand and took out her datpad. She pulled Irene closer, pointing at the screen as though she were showing the officer something. 'Let me take a picture of them first. We'll let Minerva take care of them later.' The blonde smiled at her lover, a gesture which was returned. She angled the pad slightly, just enough for her to catch the two thugs on camera and quickly snapped the photo. Irene nodded as the datapad was deposited back into the purse. Flora grasped Irene's hand and tugged, starting down the stairs.

'So how are you planning to scare them off?' The slightly shorter woman asked.

'If you would look up at them, act like you've just realized they're following you and whisper something to me.'

Without further notice, Flora cast an obvious glance over at the men. It just so happened that the shady pair were scrutinizing the blonde at the same moment. They quickly diverted their gazes, but Irene could see they were peering out the corner of their eyes. A worried look took over Flora's features as she tugged on Irene's hand and leaned in, whispering, 'So I've done my part. What now?' The younger woman pointed a finger less than subtly at the pair.

'Hold on.' Irene's gaze followed the finger's direction and landed on the men. She frowned, glaring at them. She quickly withdrew her phone, pretending to punch in a number rapidly and placed the phone against her ear. The officer pulled Flora off to the side, as though wanting to put more distance between them and the suspicious characters. 'Now if they follow my script, they'd think I'm calling for help from somewhere,' Irene spoke, making it look like she's giving orders to someone. 'And if they indeed think so, they would panic and…'

One of the stalker pair nudged his partner hard, making a small nod towards the women. His accomplice then pointed at the nearby stairs with his thumb, clearly indicating that they should take off. It did not take long for them to scarper.

'…run.' Irene pulled the phone from her ear.

Flora laughed. 'You know, I didn't really think it would actually work. Such a lame tactic.'

'At least it worked.' Irene gave a small pout. 'And you're welcome, by the way.'

The blonde swallowed her laughter as best she could and leaned forward to give her lover a swift kiss.

'Thank you, Captain Irene Lancett. What could I have done without your assistance?'

'Now you're just patronizing me.'

Flora grinned. 'All right, fine. I'll treat you to dinner. How about that?'

'Hmm…' The captain made a show of considering the offer. 'Or how about you cook me dinner?'

'Huh. But I haven't restocked our fridge yet.'

'That's the point of "grocery shopping", isn't it, Miss Flora Chevalier?'

_**-Lightyears-**_

'_But… they would never accept us, Valerus! I'm a quarian, your people would never…'_

'_We don't have to go back, Shara. We can run away, just the two of us. We can find somewhere that does not care that I'm a turian, and you're a quarian…'_

Irene munched on a mouthful of pasta, blankly watching the cheesy romance playing on screen, torn between laughing out loud and shriveling up from over-the-top lines. One thing she could not get over was that alien melodrama did not have that much of a difference from human ones. One would think different species, with their various traditions and cultures, would have come up with vastly differing plot lines. Nope.

'Hey, hey.' The silver-haired woman started, when the blonde tipped her plate over to push leftover salmon and pasta into her own unfinished food. 'I'm not your garbage disposal.'

'I'm full. Had too much to eat at Helen's Buffet earlier today.' Flora leaned back further into the couch, head coming to rest on Irene's shoulder. 'And you're the one who asked me to cook, so you damned well better finish what I made.'

'Not going to complain.' Irene took a bite of salmon. 'At least this is better than what I usually eat on the ship.'

'Hm. You can't blame your mess sergeant, though.' Flora watched the still ongoing dialogue on the screen. 'They've been talking for fifteen minutes! Can't they just elope already?' She huffed. 'Then when they finally reach their ship, someone is going to bust their escape. And at the climax, the episode ends.'

Sure enough, when the onscreen couple finally made it to their getaway starship, they were ambushed by a band of flashy thugs. The thug leader, after a theatrical wave of his gun, finally pulled the trigger, only to have the scene paused and credits started scrolling up the screen.

Flora sat up, shaking her head. She took Irene's now empty plate and headed into the kitchen.

'Come to think of it, when's your next assignment? Has Patton told you anything?'

_Uh…_ Irene followed the blonde into the kitchen. _To lie, or not to lie?_

'He has, hasn't he?' Flora continued, correctly interpreting the woman's silence. 'And you probably have to go away soon, that's why you're keeping quiet. If you had a long break you wouldn't have hesitated.' She loaded up the dishwasher.

'Promise you'll keep calm?' Irene tried tentatively.

'Yes.'

'Promise you'll leave Patton alone?'

A half-smile appeared on the younger woman's face. 'He told you about that?'

'Promise.'

'With terms and conditions.'

'Not very promising.'

'Just tell me, officer. I can take it.'

'I only have a month's leave, then I'll be flying to Terra Nova for two months.'

'And what happens after two months?'

'I don't know.'

The blonde took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. 'Do you know why I quit my job as an ambassador?'

'Because it took you everywhere in the galaxy at the Alliance's and Council's whim.' Flora had told her this many times over, so it was already etched in Irene's brain. 'You quit, so at least one of us stays at a permanent place that the other can come back to, and it's also easier for us to be able to spend more time together.' The captain paused, then added, 'Also because you hate the Council.'

'I don't _hate _them.' The younger closed in, pinching her partner's nose. 'I just think they're too tedious to deal with. But still, you get nine marks out of ten for the answer.' She hugged Irene's abdomen, placing her head on the firm shoulder.

'I'm sorry.' The taller one ran her fingers through the blond locks, voice soft. 'I wish we could spend more time together too. But I…'

'I know. You're already committed to the Alliance. Don't apologise. Just make sure,' Flora tapped the officer's chest. 'That you also remain committed to me. I know how many easy, sexy women you can see and pick up all over the galaxy.'

An indignant look crossed Irene's features. 'What, you don't trust me?'

Flora raised her brows. 'I don't know. I've seen quite a lot of hot women out there, especially the asari. Who knows what sudden surge of lust may overtake my beautiful, maybe even lonely, girlfriend?'

'"Sudden surge of lust"?' Irene smirked playfully. 'What, was it something like this?' The silver-haired woman pushed the blonde against the counter, pressing her hips close to keep her victim in place. 'Or maybe… this?' She captured Flora's lips with her own, reveling in its familiar softness, and the way her lover yielded to her. Flora's hand slipped up around the back of her neck, pulling her closer to deepen the kiss, while the other entwined itself with short silver tresses. Irene reached down and cupped Flora's bottom, making the woman's hips jerk forward against her. Her tongue flicked out to run across the inside of Flora's upper lip, eliciting a soft moan. She slid her tongue sensually over its counterpart, her hand gliding up the slender back…

Then the phone rang. Groaning throatily, Irene pressed further into Flora, unwilling to let her go, but the blonde held the sides of her face and pushed her back. Flora smiled, when a faint puppy-like whine reached her ears.

'Sorry, but I have to get that.'

'Can't it wait?' Irene leaned forward to kiss her again, but got her face pushed to the side.

'You know that ringtone, Irene. It's Galatea's.'

'I don't see the point.'

Flora shot a withering look at her sulking girlfriend and answered the call.

'Yes? No, I haven't, why?... Uh, give me a moment.' She headed into the study and brought her computer out of standby. Irene followed, leaning against the doorway watching the woman work.

'Marlon Hines…' Flora muttered as she tapped on the keyboard rapidly. 'He's that psycho murderer locked up in a cell, right?' Her eyes widened. 'Wait, I thought I read about him breaking out of jail somewhere.'

The name clicked in Irene's mind. 'He broke out of jail two weeks ago,' she informed the blonde. 'There were unconfirmed Alliance reports saying he joined up with the Blue Suns, the mercenary group.'

'Irene says there are unconfirmed reports about him joining the Blue Suns. Why did you want to know?' Flora frowned. 'Wait, Deneve's the one handling this mission, right? If Marlon Hines is really after the same thing as us, then that means Deneve's in trouble. There's no way her small team can handle them…' Flora clicked around the screen a few times. 'I don't think it's a good idea for you to go, Gala… Yes, but…' She sighed. 'Fine, but it's on your own head, then. I'll send in a few more people to back you up… No, you're either going in with a team or not going at all. Period.' A hint of threat entered her tone. 'I don't like the idea of explaining to Miria why you returned in a body bag, with holes in your body and half your face blown off… I'll send the information to your datapad. _Make sure_ you pick your team up _before_ you fly off… Okay. Bye.'

Flora placed the phone on the table before typing on the keyboard again. 'We've got the Blue Suns going after the same package as us.' She informed the person still standing at the door. 'And we've picked up comm chatter that Marlon Hines is with them, so Galatea's going as backup.'

'Tell her to shoot a few holes in his head along the way. She'll save a lot of trouble for the galaxy's security forces.'

'If she can.' Flora finished typing the mission details and sent it out to her operatives.

'Aren't you worried about sending your boss lady into danger?'

The mission coordinator gave her an "are-you-kidding-me" look. 'I did, initially. Still do, but I've learnt not to worry endlessly and without reason about her, or our agents, for that matter. It would give me lots of health problems.' She stood, placing her hands on her hips, and stretched her back. 'Besides, she knows how to handle herself.'

Flora smiled and made her away over to Irene. She wrapped her arms around the taller woman, who held her waist. Her smile turned coquettish.

'Now, Captain. Is that a periscope in your pants, or are you just happy to see me?'

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><p>No, Irene does not have male endowments.<p>

Anyways, thanks for trudging through that mess. *applause*

I'm not giving up on Wind Flower. Never will I do that! But I'm taking the time to plan out the story again, so please be patient with me.


End file.
